[Sidenote: _Monsieur_ Joutel _believes here was one of the Mouths of the_ Missisipi. _See the Pref. and what follows._]
The Fifth, we set Sail and held on our Course _W. S. W._ keeping along the Shore till about Six in the Evening, when we stood away to the _Southward_ and anchor’d at Night in six Fathom Water. The Sixth, we would have made ready to sail, but the Pilot perceiving, that the Sea broke astern of us, and that there were some Shoals, it was thought proper to continue at Anchor, till the Wind chang’d, and we accordingly staid there the Sixth and all the Seventh. The Eighth the Wind veering about, we stood out a little to Sea, to avoid those Shoals, which are very dangerous, and anchor’d again a League from thence. Upon Advice, that the Bark _la Belle_ had discover’d a small Island, which appear’d between the two Points of a Bay, Monsieur _de la Sale_ sent a Man up to the round Top, from whence both the one and the other were plainly to be seen, and according to the Sea Charts we had with us, that was suppos’d to be the Bay of the _Holy Ghost_.
The Ninth, Monsieur _de la Sale_, sent to view those Shoals. Those who went reported there was a sort of Bank, which runs along the Coast; that they had been in one Fathom Water and discover’d the little Island beforemention’d, and as for the Sand Bank there is no such thing mark’d down in the Charts. Monsieur _de la Sale_ having examin’d the Recknings, was confirm’d in his Opinion, that we were in the Bay of _Apalache_, and caus’d us to continue the same Course.
The Tenth, he took an Observation and found 29 Degrees 23 Minutes North Latitude. The eleventh, we were becalm’d, and Monsieur _de la Sale_ resolv’d to go ashore, to endeavour to discover what he was looking for; but as we were making ready, the Pilot began to mutter because five or six of us were going with Monsieur _de la Sale_, who too lightly alter’d his Design, to avoid giving Offence to brutish People. In that Particular he committed an irretrieveable Error; for it is the Opinion of Judicious Men, who, as well as I, saw the rest of that Voyage, that the Mouth of one of the Branches of the _Missisipi_ River, and the same whose Latitude Monsieur _de la Sale_ had taken, when he travell’d to it from _Canada_, was not far from that Place, and that we must of Necessity be near the Bay of the _Holy Ghost_.[49]